LOCAL NEWS.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 32, 11 August 1860, Page 2

LOCAL NEWS.

Shipping. —The Mary arrived at Blenheim on Monday last, and discharged her cargo ) and sailed for Nelson on Wednesday, with the mail on board. The City of Nelson and Gipsy both arrived here last night.

Pride of the Isles. —From the following paragraph in the Examiner, there is reason to fear that this well-known vessel is lost : —“ The schooner Pride of the Isles, which left this port on the 12th of July, for Taranaki, laden with bricks, sawn timber, &c. ; had not arrived when the Airedale left, on Tuesday last, so that it is apprehended the vessel must have foundered at sea.” Blenheim Church. —We have been requested to correct a misstatement in our report of a few remarks made by Mr. Eyes in the Council. The following, we are informed, were the facts of the case :—“ Mr. Eyes made application to the Trustees of the Nelson Trust Funds for a grant in aid of erecting a Church at Blenheim. The Trustees voted £3OO for religious purposes for the Wairau and Awatere districts, which sum was paid to the Bishop of Nelson to bo disposed of as he might think proper; and his lordship promised £IOO towards the Church at Blenheim.” Land Sale. —The long-deferred sale of Crown Lands, we beg to remind our readers, will take place on Thursday next, at the Land Office, Blenheim.

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. TUESDAY, JULY 3 1. Present: The Speaker, Messrs. Ward, Baillie, Eyes, Sinclair, Seymour, Godfrey, and the Superintendent. The minutes of preceding meeting were read and agreed to. BLENHEIM SCHOOL. The Superintendent read a letter from Dr. Greenwood, the Secretary to the Central Board of Education in Nelson, respecting the salary due to the master of the Blenheim School, and laid the same on the table. [A copy of the letter will be found in another column.] VOTE OF THANKS TO DR. MULLER. Mr. Baillie, according to notice, moved that a vote of thanks be given to Dr. Muller for his gratuitous services a.s Treasurer of this province, previous to the appointment of a Provincial Treasurer, and that the Speaker communicate the same to Dr. Muller. Agreed to. ALTERATION OF ROADS BILL. Mr. Seymour moved that the Council go into committee on the Alteration of Roads Bill; Mr. Goulter in the chair. The Superintendent said the object of the hill was to enable the Government to make new

linos of road in the province, where such were thought desirable. The original lines were very imperfect, ancl frequently crossed swamps and other places that would render the formation of roads very expensive, where there was no necessity; and if power were given to make now lines such obstructions might, in many cases, ho avoided. The bill was copied, almost clause for clause, from the Nelson Act, except that more power was given to the Government by the present hill. For instance, the Nelson act required one-sixth only of the owners of private laud to appeal against a road being made, which had caused the act to he almost inoperative. In the bill before them, the power of appeal was omitted, and any dispute was to he brought before and decided by three magistrates. The Nelson act directed that arbitrators should be appointed to value the land of private individuals, whilst the bill they wished to pass gave to three magistrates the power of determining the value of such land, in all eases where it was considered that the valuation would not be more than £100; hut above that amount arbitrators were to be appointed, lie considered that the magistrates were the best qualified to judge in such matters, both by their knowledge of the country and general intelligence, and that thenawards would he satisfactory to the public, and enable works of almost paramount importance to he commenced without delay. The motion was then put and agreed to, and the Council went into committee accordingly. Clause 1 was agreed to. On clause 2 being put, Mr. Sinclair said that it might he desirable to stop up or make a private road, and that the power should not he limited to the Superintendent. The plans of roads, he thought, ought to be certified. The Superintendent said that he had no objection to the alterations being made. The wording of the General Act of 1858 had been followed with reference to the power being given to the Superintendent only. The word “ certified ” had been omitted because it was considered useless, as the plans would be drawn by competent surveyors. The clause wasTlien altered in accordance with the above suggestions, and agreed to. Clauses 3 and -1 were agreed to. Clause 5 was objected to by Mr. Sinclair, because power of appealing to the Provincial Council when an application was refused by justices was not given to individuals as well as to the Superintendent. lie said that magistrates would no doubt decide cases justly, so far as they were acquainted with the circumstances; but the fullest statement of a ease might not he made to them at the time. After some discussion, the original clause was agreed to. All the other clauses were agreed to without alteration. The Chairman reported the hill with amendments, and the Council resumed. The Council then adjourned for an hour. The Council reassembled at 6 o’clock, p.m. Present: The Speaker, Messrs. Ward, Sinclair, Seymour, Godfrey, and the Superintendent. ALTERATION OF ROADS BILL. The Superintendent moved that the Alteration of Roads Bill be re-committed, for the purpose of re-considering clauses 11 and 12. The motion was agreed to, and the Council went into committee on the bill; Mr. Coulter in the chair. In clause 11, the amount of compensation to be ascertained by justices was limited to claims not exceeding £2O; all above that sum to he decided by arbitration. After some slight alterations had been made in clause 12, the Chairman reported the bill, as amended, Council resumed. APPROPRIATION BILL. The Superintendent moved the first reading of the Appropriation Bill, which was agreed to, and the bill was read a first time accordingly. The Council then adjourned until next day. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1. Present: The Speaker, Messrs. Ward, Eyes, Sinclair, Dodson, Seymour, Godfrey, and the Superintendent. Minutes of preceding meeting were read and agreed to. WASTE LAND REGULATIONS. Mr. Godfrey asked leave to withdraw the notice standing in his name to move the adoption of the Report of the Select Committee on the Waste Land Regulations, and to request leave for the committee to sit again and bring up a report on some future day. Leave granted. ALTERATION OF ROADS BILL. Mr. Seymour moved that the Alteration of Roads Bill he read a third time. Agreed to. The bill was then read a third time and passed. BLENHEIM SCHOOL. The Superintendent moved “That the following gentlemen form a committee of management for conducting the Blenheim School, namely, the Superintendent for the time being, or his deputy, S. L. Muller, Esq., 8.M., and Mr. James Sinclair, M.P.C. That two members of the committee form a quorum. That the committee have power to appoint and dismiss master. That the grant of £3OO voted under the head of education he paid over to the committee. That the committee expend the said sum of £3OO in the following manner: —For and towards the support of the master; in repairing, altering, and improving the school house and room in the manner the committee think most advisable and conducive to the comfort and well-being of the school, and fencing if necessary ; in books, Ac., at the discretion of the committee, for the use of the school. That the school bo examined at intervals by the committee, or some one appointed by them—the Superintendent to inform the Council of its state of efficiency, number of scholars attending, and their progress. The course of education to consist of reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, history, and geography, and such other branches of general knowledge as the committee may from time to time deem fit and advantageous to be introduced. All books and apparatus used in the school to he approved of by the. committee. Children to pay a sum weekly to be fixed by committee, and to provide themselves with slates, copy hooks, and spelling books, which will ho sold to them at cost price. All other hooks used in the school to he provided by the committee, free of charge to the children.” Motion’agreed to. APPROPRIATION BILL. Mr. Sf.ymour moved the second reading of the Appropriation Bill.

The motion was unanimously adopted. On the motion of the Superintendent, the Council went into committee on the bill, which was agreed to without alteration. The Council resumed. Mr. Seymour then moved, according to notice, that the Appropriation Bill be read a third time. Agreed to. The bill was then read a third time and passed. EQUALIZATION OF REPRESENTATION. Mr. Sinclair asked the Superintendent if it was his intention to bring in a bill on a future day to equalize the representation of districts. As the members of that Council were at present elected, great injustice was done to many districts. Mr. Ward said the decision of the cases of appeal would settle the question about claims. He considered that the Revising Officer had acted most unjustly in striking off names. Justice demanded that every means should be taken to prevent persons from striking off names as they had done here. The Superintendent said that the subject had been under consideration, but any decision was considered premature until the new Electoral Roll was published. Mr. Sinclair thought that the districts should be better defined, particularly Blenheim and Lower Wairau. FERRY AT BUSH. Sir. Dodson asked Ilis Honour the Superintendent if it was his intention to take any steps to maintain a ferry at the Steam-boat Wharf. He believed that it was the intention of parties to memorialise the Government on the subject. It was true there was but little traffic at present, yet some one was required to attend to it constantly. The Superintendent replied that he had no such intention at present. If a memorial were sent to the Government it would receive every attention. ADJOURNMENT OF COUNCIL. The Superintends®^- moved “ That this Council do adjourn to Tuesday, the 18th September next, and then to meet and take into consideration the proposed report of the Select Committee on the Land Regulations, and upon other business.” The motion was unanimously agreed to, and the Council adjourned accordingly.